Learning To Love
by yume-chan29
Summary: DISCONTINUED A day full of surprises, Sakura finds herself dealing with...a war with the Sound, her newfound Bloodline Limit Ability, and daily training with three angsty genius Jounins. Sasu x Saku x Nej x Saku x Gaa semiAU Chapter 4 UP! 8.21.06
1. War

**Learning to Love**  
By: yume-chan 

**Standard Disclaimers Apply.**

**Author's notes-** Entry One:

I had written this FF in honor of my favorite female of Naruto, Haruno Sakura, as well as, for my younger sister, to whom I owe the thanks for giving me the basic idea of a love…er…square, between the protagonists of my story. The rounds of romance will be as follows: Sakura x Sasuke x Sakura x Neji x Sakura x Gaara. Though two of the pairings are non-canon, I myself have fallen in love with the idea and have gone ahead with creating this fiction. Alternative pairings rock!

Don't like, don't read! Love, secrets, fluff, angst, jealousy, and tragedy ahoy!

**Chapter 1:** War

"So it's true then." Tsunade curled her fingers in a business-like manner where they rested folded neatly on her lap. She casually crossed her legs. The task at hand was a serious one and needed to be handled as delicately as possible, in need of her utmost attention.

"The Sound has been planning for another war with Konoha."

"Yes Tsunade-sama. It has not been proclaimed official, but the information we have gathered is indeed reliable. We have reason for caution." The captain of The Leaf's ANBU squad delivered the message solemnly, waiting with a warrior's patience for the Hokage's opinion and, more importantly, plan of action.

A tired sigh was followed closely by the silence of the night as Tsunade thought quickly for a basic design to Konoha's retaliation. She rubbed her temples.

Finally she said, "For now, since the declaration of war has yet to be made official, continue training your ANBU, at a slightly faster pace maybe. Design your army so that you have at least two groups that can work independently." She tapped the edge of her forefinger to her chin, in thought. "And assign a medic-nin for every three teams when constructing your army. You handle the details. I'll take charge of the defense as well as well as the town in itself."

A faintly shocked look came upon the young man's features at Tsunade's mention of medic-nins. 1 medical ninja per every 3 cells? Impossible. There weren't that many medic-nins in action currently. "But Tsunade-sama, we don't have that many medic-nins available assigned off-field, much less on duty…" he started.

At this, the female ninja let out an exasperated breath. That's right…these days, not many shinobi enlist to practice medical jutsus. Though nearly all ninja know a few basic healing techniques, not many know how to deal with more serious wounds, which are extremely probable to occur during battle. Most of the people who worked at The Hidden Leaf's local hospital were civilians and volunteers. In fact, Tsunade probably knew only a handful of medical shinobi and kunoichi personally…

_Kunoichi…medic-nin?_

That's it!

"I know someone who can help with your medic-nin dilemma. Not only that, but this kunoichi can also greatly affect the outcome of this future war." The 5th grinned, swelling in pride that she had even remembered. She had known this information would have come in handy someday.

The ANBU leader, in contrast, looked doubtful, "A kunoichi, Tsunade-sama? How can a single female ninja change the outcome of an all-out war with the Hidden Sound?" (A/N: Thanks for the lookout BaBy KaKaShI! XD ...missed that tidbit!)

"This kunoichi is no ordinary one," She explained pretty confidently, "She had graduated with top test scores while at the academy. She has had personal experience training with the self-proclaimed future Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto AND the prodigy Uchiha Sasuke. She is an aspiring medic-nin not to mention, is my current apprentice…"

"But Tsunade-sama," the ANBU quietly interrupted, "You're present apprentice, by my knowledge, is only a chuunin-leveled ninja. How can she…?"

The 5th Hokage smiled wryly, "Did I mention that she has a bloodline limit ability?"

Shock was painted clearly onto the young ANBU's face. A bloodline limit ability…for healing? "I-I have never heard of such a gift."

The grin still fixed upon her features she clarified, "Yes well, when I took the girl under my wing, so to speak, I had, of course, to look into her family history. The ability had been dated long, long ago back to her great, great, GREAT grandfather. It hadn't shown up in future generations when most of her family had entered the business world. Apparently, she too has yet to awaken her ability. I believe she has to reach a certain level of skill before said awakening can occur."

The ANBU, though still a bit skeptical, believed more, "What, may I ask, Tsunade-sama, does her bloodline limit ability do exactly?"

"Well," Tsunade answered, "from what I know, her ability gives her the power to heal a mass of people, repairing their most serious injuries and rejuvenating their overall health, all in one go."

The squad leader's eyes widened a bit, "A mass of people…in one go?"

The female blonde nodded, "Yes. So obviously, that ability would prove extremely useful to Konoha's medical team."

The ANBU leader nodded in return as well. The Hokage was right. An advantage like that could surely help win them the victory. "Is there anything you want me to do to help with the kunoichi's progress?"

"Yes," The 5th replied thoughtfully, "actually you can." She looked him straight in the eye, "As I had mentioned before, my protégé needs to reach a certain skill level in order to activate her ability." The ANBU shook his head in agreement. "So, do you have any ANBU or jounin on your teams who don't need much practice themselves? Instead, they could train our secret weapon."

The captain quickly brought out a list of names on a clipboard. The ANBU.

Tsunade noted," We need her good as soon as possible so give me the best you've got, but who's absences won't hinder the army as a whole. 3 trainers would be good enough, I believe. That way, they can take different shifts. And would it be possible to assign people about her own age? I think it would be easier on her considering the responsibility she must carry for Konoha when she finds out."

The ANBU merely nodded with every of the Hokage's suggestions flipping through the pages of his ANBU squad files. In seconds, he had found the perfect trainers.

"Uchiha Sasuke; Age 16. 6'1". 154 lbs. Heir to the Uchiha clan. Remaining family: Uchiha Itachi (elder brother): MN; Akatsuki Org. Had once been labeled MN himself. Konoha ANBU, 3-man cell leader."

"Hyuuga Neji; Age 17. 6' 2". 162 lbs. Heir to the Hyuuga clan. Remaining family: Hyuuga Hiashi (uncle); Hyuuga Hinata (cousin); Part of the Branch Family. Konoha ANBU, 3-man cell leader."

"Gaara. Age 16. 6'. 150 lbs. Chosen heir to Sand (ally) Kazekage. Remaining family: Temari (elder sister), Kankuro (elder brother). Sand resident. Had once attacked Konoha during chuunin exam. Sand ANBU, 3-man cell leader."

The Hokage looked mildly amused at the turnout. "Very well. Those boys shall be training our special kunoichi. The shifts will be decided once the messages are delivered to said shinobi. Training our medical protégé shall be considered an A-rank mission due to the confidentiality of the information. No rejection is accepted. No exceptions. If you have trouble convincing the Sand boy, tell the Kazekage my orders. As our ally, I'm sure he'll come to reason with him."

"Hai." Understanding his orders, Konoha's ANBU captain left the room in silence.

Once the door shut, the blonde Hokage stood from her chair, going out onto her balcony. She took a breath of fresh air looking down upon her peaceful city illuminated by moonlight: civilians, buildings, and nature, undisturbed by a future of mayhem. Amidst the crowd would be a young, pink-haired kunoichi, who the Hokage was about to rely on heavily for the sake of Konoha.

Before turning back to her chambers, she whispered into the darkness of the night sky, "I'm sure you can do it, Haruno Sakura."

**End chapter 1**

**A/N: **I apologize for any mispelling, OOC-ness, or wrong information you may have had the displeasure of coming across. Forgive me! **  
**

Review! Flames are not appreciated. Be gentle, onegai!


	2. News

Learning to Love 

By: yume-chan

**Standard Disclaimers Apply.**

**Author's notes-** Entry Two: Dedicated to all my reviewers! (I got REVIEWS!) XD

This chapter is much lengthier, ne?

Don't like, don't read! Love, secrets, fluff, angst, jealousy, and tragedy ahoy!

**Chapter 2:** News

**T**he night was dark and windy. Gaara's favorite type of evening. The breezes not only let his grains of sand fly freely but also gave him a peace he hardly felt in deafening silence. And the blackness…

The scarlet haired boy from the Hidden Village of Sand stood atop the tallest tower in all of Leaf Village. His eyes, lined dark due to frequent attacks of insomnia and fixed in a semi-glare scanned the buildings, the lighted windows, the occasional passerby of ANBU checking up on the sleeping town's well-being. He scoffed. They had yet to be aware of his presence. These people were Konoha's ANBU? Pathetic.

Coming back to Konoha was indeed strange and sudden. Why was it he needed to be here, again?

Carefully, Gaara took a slightly folded picture, handed to him that morning by one of Konoha's ANBU messengers, from his pocket and looked upon the face of his current mission. This girl…he had seen her once before.

It was during the Chuunin exam when the Sand and Leaf were both still enemies. He and his siblings had had ulterior motives that were supposedly planned to destroy the Leaf from right under its Hokage's nose.

The plan had obviously not succeeded. But the memories of the rush, he kept with him, not the pointless failure. The excitement he had felt tingling his senses whenever he came across a new opponent…the prospect of fresh blood had driven him.

Through it all, he did remember the girl in the photograph he held in his hands. The pink-headed weakling. Her future was to decide between Konoha's victory and loss?

The information he'd been relayed by his Kazekage had included that she held a locked blood limit ability. And to obtain this goal, he was to train her until Jounin level.

JOUNIN level.

He was sure to be here for quite a while.

It was for his Village he kept reminding himself. Now that the Leaf and Sand were allies, due to much help from the current Hokage, this was not only duty to his land's associates but also to his people.

He sighed noiselessly then opened his sharp emerald eyes to the world again. He quietly sat down, waiting for the approaching dawn to come.

At that hour he was to meet with people he would be working with for the next month or two. Then, he was to arrange training dates for the pink-headed girl with his fellow instructors Hyuuga Neji and Uchiha Sasuke.

He smiled sadistically at the thought of the prodigies and he coming together for the first time in a long time. Action was promised. Perhaps blood would be spilt?

Maybe training Haruno Sakura wouldn't be so disgustingly terrible.

* * *

Palms pressed against each other and legs crossed in an upright sitting position, he meditated in the comfort of his enormous home at the Hyuuga household. Seeing as he had always liked his life orderly, the ritual was practiced everyday, at noon sharp, always on the dot and on the hour.

Tomorrow the pattern of Neji's meditation was to be disrupted.

On certain occasions, such as when he was sent on A or even S ranked missions, which usually lasted more than a few days, Neji readily took on each assignment with trained responsibility. But tomorrow…

Tomorrow, as the messenger ANBU had informed him at 8:00 a.m. that morning, he was to take part in an A-ranked mission…

He frowned.

…A duty to which he believed should not have even been ranked a B-class mission, much less for an ANBU (and even much more less, THREE) to handle. They had to baby-sit a kunoichi whom the Hokage believed had the power to change Konoha's fate in the war? Fools.

The white eyed jounin let out a huff of breath. Concentrate. Meditate.

But he really had no choice in the matter. If it was the Hokage's final decision, there really were no exceptions. The choice had been settled. The verdict had been fixed. Case closed.

For the next couple of months he was to train the pink-haired girl, Haruno Sakura.

He had stored the name in his memory bank a long time ago…back when they had all first been taking the Chuunin exam. The female was pretty easy to remember due to two things:

She was the weak link in the Uchiha's and Uzumaki's former genin team.

She had pink hair.

Actually, that was basically all he could remember about the Chuunin. Being a year older than she, Neji had rarely talked to girl, if ever at all. So how was he supposed to know how exactly to train her? How to set up instruction that went at her own pace? How to tutor her if he didn't even know her level of comprehension or past experience?

Why? Why had destiny chosen him to be one of Haruno's trainers? To spite him for his wrong-doings in the past?

At the very least, the Hokage had assigned two others, Uchiha Sasuke and Gaara of the Sand, to at least be there to offer a good fight—he needed the training.

Neji realized yet again that his meditation period was being disturbed. He grunted at his wandering mind. The last thought he produced before finally going into intense concentration mode was: _May fate bring whatever it may. Haruno Sakura…be ready._

_

* * *

_

Punch. Jab. Kick. _Crack! _Repeat.

The frustration he had felt when he first found the news that he was to be training _her_ for the next few months, was finally wearing off. His anger had been productively used to benefit his own work out. The level of irritation…well, was quite present on the enormous tree bark he was currently hitting the hell out of.

He didn't need this!

What he needed was some quiet time alone to concentrate on his own training. Not hers. She was not the avenger. He was.

Why did the Hokage have to assign him this job?

Punch. Kick. Roll. Kunai!

Even with the potential of having an all-out brawl between himself and his fellow teachers, Hyuuga Neji and Gaara…

It just wasn't enough to have to deal with _her_.

The wide-foreheaded girl with above average intelligence.

The emerald-eyed Kunoichi who was his former genin teammate.

The pink-haired ninja…who had once loved him.

Haruno Sakura.

Kick! Thrust. Swipe. Jab. Crack!

Once loved him…

Back in their Genin days, Sakura had practically been his shadow—following him everywhere, asking for dates, proclaiming she loved him at the most inappropriate times.

He'd never warranted any of this…unwanted attention. As one whose main goal in life was to kill his own murdering brother, attachments of this sort were definitely useless and unnecessary.

When he had betrayed Konoha for the temptation of power, she had still loved him (as claimed by eyewitnesses who saw her practically mourning after his absence) then, as well. When he had come back, she'd been all smiles and tears, the only one to truly welcome him with open arms. And still the love she offered was never touched by the likes of him. Taken for granted.

With that, her passion for him had somewhat…extinguished.

The love had died and they became friends. She was less annoying when she was not begging for his notice, he thought.

But as time wore on, that mild friendship had dulled and dulled…until they were merely acquaintances with an awkward history due to unrequited love.

Swish. Punch! Kick. Roll. Shurinken!

He couldn't handle seeing her again with all the tension in between.

But as that ANBU messenger had told him that morning, the Hokage was accepting no rejections. Damn woman. He didn't CARE if Sakura had a bloodline limit ability! He did too and had in fact, already mastered his Shanringan! Damn women.

Punch! Jab! Kick! _Crack! Break. Fall._

The giant tree lay in pieces before Uchiha Sasuke. He looked upon his destruction but his mind was upon what the dawn of tomorrow was to bring.

He really, really didn't need this.

He cursed silently at the thought of training with Neji, Gaara, and Sakura tomorrow.

* * *

She collapsed upon her bed, bubble-gum strands in disarray across her pillow.

The day had been exhausting. No, not physically. She hadn't been sent on a mission since her last one 2 weeks ago.

It was straining in an emotional way. Mentally.

It was no puzzle that had left her so tired in the brain. No problem that needed solving, no predicament had called for her advanced thinking and concentration abilities. She could easily handle any of those scenarios without so much as a strain to her brain.

No. In fact it was new information and shocking revelations that the ANBU this morning had delivered to her that had left her so mind-boggled and feeling in need of rest.

Haruno Sakura breathed into her pillow, pulling up her cotton, flowery blankets to under her chin. It was going to be hard to sleep tonight. Staring up at the ceiling, she waited for dreamland to pull her into its depths.

The news that she had received that day had been truly shocking and unpredictable. She recalled the ANBU's words.

"…we have reason to believe that our town, Konoha, will soon be at war with our enemies, the Hidden Village of the Sound."

Shocking revelation #1. On the outside, the kunoichi remained serene. In her mind, though, Sakura recollected her Inner-self screaming (not very calmly) about the predicament. "War! WAR! I always KNEW that the Sound were no good! Fight Sakura, fight! Let's KICK—THEIR—BUTTS! HELL YEAH!" Her counterpart had raged.

"…_The 5th Hokage had personally suggested that YOU lead Konoha's medical team, due to your skill level in the area as well as because you're bloodline limit ability will come in use for the future."_

Shocking revelation #2. Sakura had eased a look of slight shock onto her face though her demeanor was still steady. Inside, Inner-Sakura was yelling yet again. "Bloodline limit ability! I HAVE a bloodline limit ability? Hell YES! I had always known we were stronger than Naruto (who has no bloodline limit ability whatsoever ;))!

"To awaken your skill, you must reach jounin level…" 

Shocking Revelation #3. "WHAT! Jounin!" That was obviously the voice of Inner-Sakura as her screams reverberated off the walls of her outer part's skull.

"… the Hokage had arranged for you to have special trainers…ones who can easily advance you due to their own exceptional skills."

Shocking revelation #4. Special trainers? Asked the rational side of Sakura.

"Your trainers will meet with you tomorrow deciding on the dates to which they switch positions for every shift…when they will train you, what to teach you about, etc. Additional information is contained within this envelope. Highly confidential."

Sakura nodded professionally taking the parcel from the man's offering hand. Before the messenger ANBU made it out her door, however, she called out, "Excuse me! Wait! Do I know any of my 'trainers'?" She hoped for yes. Working with strangers surely couldn't let her reach her full potential.

The ANBU looked back at the carnation headed ninja. "I believe their names are Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Neji, and Gaara."

Shocking revelations #5, #6, and #7.

Sakura couldn't even manage a 'thank you' before the ANBU greeted a "Have a good evening, Miss." And sprang off into the shade of the trees. Minutes later, Sakura was still suffering from the blows aftershock.

"Sasuke, Neji, and Gaara?" She whispered. Silence. Then, she swiftly ran back to her own room.

Sakura remembered the absolute effect of each of the revelations, after having been able to sort out her feelings in the quiet of her own room. She took an extra pillow and squished it into her face.

The resent had yet to wear off. "WHY! Why of all the jounin in the world did they have to be picked?"

It was just as bad if she were to be paired up with strangers if not worse. At least in that separate group she'd be free from the intimidating form of an older prodigal shinobi she barely knew, the eerily twisted mind of a demon houser from Sand who she didn't want to know, and the dark, reprimanding eyes of a former crush she knew too well for comfort.

She could feel it. Tomorrow would be hell.

Exhausted, jade eyes fluttered to a close sleep nearly claiming her consciousness.

It wasn't long before her eyes snapped open and she basically jumped out of bed. She headed for her closet, throwing various articles of clothing around the room.

"Damn!" She cursed, this time in sync with her Inner-self.

"What the hell am I supposed to wear tomorrow!"

**End chapter 2**

**A/N (continued): **Gomen, to those who believed my first chapter sucked. It was supposed to be an opener. ();; I guess this chapter wasn't MUCH better though…I wanted to focus on their character development. BUT, as the story goes on, it WILL get better, I promise!

**Review Responses: **

**sakura-chan** : Thank you! I always appreciate my reviewers especially considering that you're the first! Ah, and yes. How WILL Sakura-chan choose between the hotness of Neji, Sasuke, and Gaara? Read to find out!

**Lady Light : **Nyah! Here's you're update! Thank you for reviewing!

**sky : **Hey! It's nice to meet you too! Well, here's your update and thanks for reviewing and being SO sweet about it!

**phantasy08 : **:nervous laugh: Well, phantasy08, thank you for the advice! I'll make sure to keep it in mind for future reference. Hopefully I WILL succeed in upcoming chapters, ne? Thank you for reviewing!

**MegDeity** : Hehe. I'll take that "annoying cliffie" comment as a compliment! Hopefully, I did a little better in this one. Ah, well, thanks for reviewing!

Review! Be gentle, onegai!


	3. Meeting

Learning to Love 

By: yume-chan

**Standard Disclaimers Apply.**

**Author's notes-** Entry Three:

Ehehehe. Sorry folks for the extremely long wait. For one thing, I had finals and now summer school. For another, I use all my time in between to read fanfiction, not write it. I guess you can say I'm more of a reader at heart. Based on the quality of my fics, I can safely assume I'm not much of an authoress. :sweatdrop: XD Well, to make up for my tardiness, I've made this chappie extra long **dedicated to all my faithful reviewers!**

Don't like, don't read! Love, secrets, fluff, angst, jealousy, and tragedy ahoy!

**Chapter 3: **Meeting

_Glare._

_Glare._

_Glare._

_The petal-haired chuunin cringed under their intimidating scrutiny. She offered a slight smile to the three. _

_Their eyes narrowed and each took a kunai from behind their backs. They pointed the weapons dangerously close to Sakura's throat, sadistic grins suddenly blossoming upon their countenances. The moonbeams made their faces pale, a stark contrast to the swirling darkness that surrounded them._

"_You're revoltingly weak." muttered Gaara of the Sand, the teal of his eyes clashing with the dark circles surrounding them. He threw a kunai with pinpoint accuracy at her arm, pinning the sleeve to the tree behind her. She couldn't move. She panicked._

"_Much weaker than each of us had previously thought." Added in the white-eyed Hyuuga Neji. He too threw, with the precision of a cobra, his kunai at her arm, "We've come to a decision." _

_Uchiha Sasuke stepped forward, dark eyes hard and glinting in the moonlight. "We've decided…" He pointed his ninja dagger at her. Sakura's heart constricted and salty tears dripped down her face due to fear. "That "ninjas" like you…" his voice was dripping in venomous sarcasm._

_He brought his arm back. Sakura's emerald eyes clouded with tears causing her sight to blur. She wanted to say something but a tightness lodged in her throat. _

"…don't deserve to live." And the weapon left his hand. Straight to her heart. The pain consumed her senses and the last thing she could make out in her surroundings was the smoldering glares of sea green, clear, and ebony.

_She screamed._

Sakura woke up in a cold sweat, panting heavily at her nightmare, dread chilling her to the core of tomorrow's—no, today's, she realized as she glanced over to her blinking alarm clock—events.

It was just a dream. JUST a dream, she reminded herself.

She left for the bathroom to get ready. Looking upon her frazzled image in the mirror she thought today was going to especially long.

Leaves snapped under her feet as she ran towards her destination, Kohaku Field. The deserted area happened to be a few trees off the red bridge that her genin team 7 had waited for their punctuality-challenged jounin instructor.

It turned out that said bridge was all the way across town from her house.

_Damn. Damn. Damn!_

She'd spent way too much time worrying what she was going to wear! Not to mention the fact that she had yet to recover from her gruesome nightmare. The reoccurring images sent shivers up her spine.

'Don't think about it!' she chided herself.

Her jade eyes caught on to a light up ahead. The field was close. Calming her nerves, the carnation-haired chuunin slowed her pace and breathed in deep. Expelling the air, she checked over the outfit she'd chosen—also the reason for her tardiness—hoping that it was all right for this morning's occasion.

She had donned a fishnet short-sleeved undershirt coupled with a white tank. For her bottom set, she'd put on a pale pink skirt, wearing skintight black shorts beneath as she had done with her former genin outfit. On her feet was a pair of knee high black boots. Other accessories included two yellow wristbands and an elastic arm choker.

Inner Sakura, as always, beamed with self-confidence, loving the outfit she's (they'd?) picked out.

She took a breath and relaxed her tense muscles as the wind played with her petal tresses.

Finally, Sakura walked into the clearing, opening her eyes to…nobody.

What the hell! Inner Sakura panicked. Had she come to the wrong place! If she was late before, then now she—

_Whiiizzzzz! _

Sakura barely managed to dodge the surprise attack seeing as how the weapon had managed to snip off one of her pink locks. Her heart raced. If she hadn't moved…

Who the HELL threw that! Inner Sakura raged as outer Sakura's senses kept on the alert.

A familiar voice reached her ears from behind. "Slow reaction, Sakura." It stated clearly in a deep and _too_ familiar voice. The female chuunin whirled around to come face to face with her former genin teammate—and first love—Uchiha Sasuke.

She looked up at him noting the changes in his physical attributes. Longer hair, deeper voice, much taller—oh yes, had her former crush grown. Still, the loneliness still glinted in his dark pools and that infamous frown was still etched on his handsome features.

She smiled nervously, "Long time no see…Sasuke-kun."

Sakura reprimanded herself with the way she'd addressed him. After years of almost no contact whatsoever, the habit had stuck! A moment of silence, familiar to the both of them, passed and Sakura decided she needed to break the quiet.

Looking around, she realized her other two 'trainers' were still absent. "Hey, Sasuke-kun, where are—"

_Whiiizzzzz!_

Another kunai flew past her face as she hurriedly dodged. Physically, her heart thumped, beating hard against her ribcage but mentally, Inner-Sakura was raging mad. What was this, attack Sakura day! Who the hell had…?

"Haruno, your attention to your surroundings has left much to be desired." A shadow jumped from a tree behind her and out came the older ninja, Hyuuga Neji, standing there, a scowl decorating his face. Green eyes looked at him with slight recognition.

From her last encounter with him, way back to their first chuunin exam, she concluded he hadn't changed all that much. His brown locks were still tied together in that same low ponytail and his penetrating eyes were still white and clear. If anything, she noticed that his face had gained, if possible, more maturity than the 13 year old she'd met that fateful chuunin exam.

"Aa…Neji…-san." She finished lamely. She's figured that he needed a suffix of respect for he was her elder after all. "I was just—"

_Whiiizzzzz! Whiiizzzzz! Whiiizzzzz!_

The three sharp throwing daggers landed where she'd just been kneeling. She knew who it was. Her theory proved correct when Gaara of the Sand revealed himself, walking calmly out of the darkness that had hid him.

"That was pathetic." Was the Sand-nin's harsh comment.

Gaara had changed the least, Sakura was sure. Still the same, red hair, the ironic 'love' tattoo, and the belittling teal irises. He still had that large gourd, holding his grains of sand, no doubt, tied on his back. The first thing she had noticed about him was his great gain in height. Before, Sakura remembered being distinctly taller than the sand-nin and now…he was almost Sasuke's height and and she had to tilt her head upward to see his face.

Their eyes, oddly close to matching in color, met. One held a dangerous glimmer, the other, a slightly fearful appearance. "G-gaara…-san." Sakura stuttered, unintelligibly.

When she finally realized it, Sakura found that their positions were exactly the same as they had been in her nightmare. To make things worse, they had all picked up their kunais and an unsettling silence weighed heavy in the air. Sakura trembled visibly. Oh…god.

She unconsciously backed a step unsure of what these three could do and just what they were capable of. The three eyed her actions curiously then looked to each other.

The tension snapped suddenly.

And just in her dreams, the kunais flew.

She waited, closing her emerald pools and bracing herself for the oncoming pain.

…But it never came. _What the heck?_

Sakura opened her eyes to find that the three Jounins were not attacking her at all. If anything, they seemed to have totally forgotten that _she _was the whole purpose of this meeting! Weren't they her "trainers"!

The sounds of kunais clashing and quick bodies moving evaded her hearing and sight.

They were fighting _each other._

The fright that had combed along her spine gave way to a new, indignant anger. Weren't they supposed to be helping her? Then why the hell weren't they doing their jobs?

Sakura seethed. _Men_.

She sat upon the grass, waiting patiently for them to cease. Watching their movements, each burning glare at loss or taunting smirk at victory, she thought, 'No, still _boys_." Just like back in their genin days, the desire to fight overtook all.

_Especially_, with a capital E, for these three. Sakura nearly choked on all the male testosterone circulating in the air. _Ugh._

And still, Haruno Sakura waited. Waited, and waited, and waited. After all, she was the mature one, the tolerant one, the most sensible it seemed currently, the…--oh look, the sun's close to the horizon—

'What!' Inner Sakura screamed mentally. She stomped a foot down (figuratively of course), a familiar fire in her eyes. 'I can't TAKE this anymore, damn it!'

The rage was great for it had been building since they had started their fight nearly 3 hours ago! So Inner Sakura slipped to the surface. Physically, Haruno Sakura, did something that most would automatically consider suicide. She yelled at the each of them. "UCHIHA SASUKE, HYUUGA NEJI, AND GAARA OF THE SAND! LISTEN TO ME!"

They each stopped at the loudness of her voice and glared icily at the pink-haired _chuunin_ who'd dared to yell at them. Only to continue with the fight again…

Sakura yelled her anger at them, shouting, making empty threats she knew she had no skill to fulfill. And yet she still did. And the stubborn Jounins still would not stop.

In her frustration, Sakura picked up a rock the size of her palm. She warned that she'd hit one of them with it if they didn't stop. Of course, she thought she'd miss each of them. After all, they were Jounins and ANBU, practically 2 ranks above her. They moved lightning fast that even her well-trained jade eyes had a hard time keeping up. But Sakura, still angry with the three of them, made a violent throw at a random direction.

And _wham! _The rock had hit Neji squarely in the head.

Surprise overtook the three other ninjas. Two smirked widely at what had just occurred. The female, after the initial aftershock of 'I DID hit someone!', came rushing to Neji's aid, anger quickly transforming into worry.

"N-Neji-san!"

The boy was clutching his head, the pain throbbing in his eardrums. He glowered at the carnation-haired ninja who had knelt beside him sputtering a number of apologies repeating how it was an accident and how she'd not meant for it to happen. "I-I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to…you guys just wouldn't stop and I was just so frustrated and I picked up this rock…and I--!"

He stood up, obviously still mad, saying, "Shut up. You're annoying."

The Byakugan user expected the kunoichi to cry, to complain, to be the whiny girl he was sure she was, based on the clinginess she'd had on the Uchiha. Gaara expected it and most of all Sasuke. They were surprised with her reaction.

She merely sighed, somewhat happily, strangely used to harsh remarks (A/N: coughSasukecough) and satisfied to see him back on his feet. She stood up, dusted off her hands casually and put her hands on her hips.

Sakura, having lost her original fear in the each of them, looked upon her so-called "trainers". Gaara had, if anything, a few scratched here and there, his seeming invincibility caused by what she knew was his Sand barrier. Sasuke had a few cuts on his unprotected arms and legs, more from the environment rather than the fight. And Neji had a light bruise on his pale face and was sporting the bump she'd just given him.

Boys. She reminded herself again. _They're a bunch of Konoha's boys. _

She inhaled deeply searching for her inner strength and she again did something that some of even the most notorious enemies wouldn't dare to do. She glared at them.

"Look guys, you've had your fun. You practically wasted the entire day with your fight!" This earned her three menacing glares but she calmly cleared her voice, gathering all her courage to her thoughts and actions.

"Now, let's plan this, okay?" She smiled at the each of them, hoping to gain their good spirits (which in reality was still pretty darn mean but better than what she was currently working with). They, the ever-so-hardheaded ninjas that they were, resentfully turned their backs to her, tired of her orders and controlling attitude. Sakura sighed as they began to walk away. 'It's now or never.' She put all her effort in overcoming the fear brought on by her nightmare.

Sakura frowned and said, "If you don't come, I'm telling the Hokage."

The shinobi stopped in their tracks and Sakura grinned. Gaara of the sand, turned around sharply, his speed fueled by irritation, brought a kunai threateningly close to her neck.

In a low voice he whispered close enough for only her to hear, "Talk and die."

Sakura nearly trembled as this was reaching an extremely close conclusion as her dream, but she desperately clung to the last bit of braveness she had left.

"…You can't hurt me." She said, trying to keep her voice calm to hide the small fear she held inside. "Sasuke-kun and I have history and Neji-san sticks to schedule, even one he despises. You can't for doing so will damage the truce we have between our countries."

He dropped the weapon, backing away slowly. The threat still lingered in his green eyes.

Sakura continued, "And if that fails," She looked to all three of them seriousness reflecting on her face, "If you all try to attack me at once. I _will_ tell the Hokage."

The grips they held on each of their weapons visibly tightened.

Sakura relaxed a little, seeing how her somewhat of an intimidation, had controlled them. She then added, "Who do you think she would believe? One who had once tried to betray Konoha for power, one who had attacked the village and innocent civilians during a Chuunin exam?"

The eyes of Sasuke and Gaara looked away.

The white-eyed Hyuuga prodigy retaliated with, "One who is a Hyuuga and respected ANBU captain and Jounin of Konoha?"

Sakura almost smirked when saying, "A _Jounin_ who gets hit in the head by a randomly thrown rock?"

Good God, _Blackmail. _Neji tensed.

Then she smiled sweetly, knowing and feeling the control over the boys flooding to her, "Or a nice, little Kunoichi like me?"

A moment of silence as the nearly adult ANBU inwardly fumed. She was so damn _annoying _and…maddeningly _right_.

The green-eyed ninja sighed softly, the anger ebbing away and the fear (though she was sure a bit would stay with her a while on account of that dream) slowly beginning to dissipate. She beamed and said, "Let's get to work, ne?"

The men followed reluctantly and irately. As Sakura had learned nothing of techniques at least _they_ learned a few things.

Number 1.) Sakura had grown in maturity. (Maybe it had _something_ to do with…another self that had been previously mentioned?)

And 2.) Underneath that innocent pink headed, green-eyed exterior lay a manipulative little _witch._

"So this is how it's going to go throughout the week." Sakura explained.

Neji, favoring control more than anyone, cut in, still, like his fellow Jounins, incensed about the situation he was so obviously forced into. Breathing heavily, he continued, "On Monday, we all shall be training her."

"On Tuesday, I will train her one-on-one."

"Wednesday, Uchiha."

"Thursday, Gaara."

Sakura beat him to the last day, trying to keep cheerful in order to (hopefully) no longer anger them, "And on Friday, we all train together again!"

Sasuke bitterly added, "We train with the ANBU when not with Sakura."

Gaara muttered, "No training, weekends."

Sakura nodded confidently, "Hai."

A period of silence and then Sasuke and Gaara turned to leave calling a short comment about going over their shoulders. Sakura turned to the older boy next to her, waiting for his next words.

"Meet me here tomorrow at 6 a.m. sharp. Don't be late or otherwise be emotionally ready for mental torture."

She nodded slowly and he left.

Sakura's walk home was silent, as her thoughts were filled with jumbles of different things.

_Will they really try to hurt me?_

_Do they all hate me now?_

_Did they even approve of what I was wearing today?_

Mostly though, one thought dominated over all.

"What will training with Neji-san be like?"

**End chapter 3**

**A/N (continued): **Eh. I just needed to update it. I didn't believe this chapter went all that well. I did like the part where Sakura threw a rock at Neji though. Hehehe. Upcoming chapter's better though, I promise! To all you Neji/Saku fans out there!

**Review Responses:**

**aikz:** Thanks so much for reviewing first chapter! I really appreciate it. I sent you an email too!

**Summergrl:** Hehehe. I LOVE those pairings too. Here's the update. Thanks for reviewing (twice).

**JaPinay:** Your writing is very…loud. Heh. Thanks for reviewing, friend. This story was made partly for you anyway, so you had better enjoyed this chappie!

**phantasy08:** Thanks! I'm glad you thought chapter 2 was better. Hopefully, this one was all right…?

**Snow Wind:** Thanks for the compliment! Here's an update!

**bluejet:** Hehehe. Well, I base my plot ideas off of others…but I tweak mine a bit so its different and unique. Thanks for the advice! I got to confess, I write for the sake of romance (I'm a sucker for those kind of fics), but I like to make sure that the plot comes first and foremost. Sucky plots ruin the romance.

**Jukebox:** hey! Thanks a bunch for the advice. Constructive criticism really helps. Yeah, that's the whole point of the trainers training her in the first place I guess. So she can get stronger and obtain more chakra. I can tell you now, her ability needs a LOT of chakra. And of course she's not going to become Jounin within a few days. I agree, because those kind of stories destroy the "realisticness" of the fiction, an element I like to include in my stories.

**chidori-san:** It's nice and funny you say? Hehe. Thanks! I try. Here's your update.

**Serryn:** Thanks for reviewing! And Sakura-chan DOES rule! It really gets me wondering why there are so many Saku-bashers out there…Oh, and I'm sorry, but I have a really limited Jap. Vocab. I pick up things from anime but I have no idea what "Shannaro" means. ;; explain and review?

**Hinoto S.:** Yay! That comment there: "Hey, added ur story to my favs." REALLY gave me a boost in self-confidence about this fic. I agree wholeheartedly with the things you said such as how Sakura is the coolest! Yeah, and its EXTREMELY hard (for me anyway) to write this story because Sakura has so many potential boyfriends. The other stories out there like mine are usually very rushed and awkward…or unfinished. -- Yes, and ALTERNATE pairings RULE!

**Lady Light:** Lol. No problem. As long as you reviewed, you always will receive much appreciation. Yes, yes. Saku-chan is looking for clothes. What exactly do you wear when going out to meet three hot guys? XD

**Kawaii Koneko92:** Hehe. Thanks. I really, REALLY try to keep the people in character. Believe me, it's tough work but I don't like how in other fics, these guys do ultimately uncharacteristic things! Hehe. I love you too. I love all my reviewers!

**Mina:** O.o Ehehehe…:backs away slowly: I've never received such a threat before. ;; Well, I LOVE Gaa/Saku as well but I'm afraid not much of it is going to be in the next two chappies. In the one AFTER those two, then THAT's the one for Gaa/Saku lovers like you (and I!)

**Lillia Karasu:** I'm so glad you enjoy my plot. Believe me, it was darn hard to think of! I had to add in all these new factors, make stuff up, blahblahblah, you get the picture. And anyway about that Sakura changing thing…hehe. Find out next chapter with Neji-kun!

**cruisegirl86:** Sakura having MORE then ONE bloodline? Ehehe. I think that'll make Sakura-chan TOO powerful. Even the all-great Neji-kun and Sasuke-kun have only one bloodline. (Gaara-kun has his ONE demon.) Thanks for your input though! Its TOTALLY appreciated.

**DoCTor MeOwZiE:** I LOVE this triangle (square?) too! (Hehe. That's why I wrote it!) Here's your update.

**Kawaii-Hisue:** Oi! I love that little face! (o'-'o) Thanks for reviewing. Glad you liked it.

**animeli0us:** Thanks! Do itashimashite!

**ZOMG:** I love Gaa/Saku as well. To find out, you must wait for my updates, ne?

**AnimeSenko:** Updated for reviewers like you!

**Mizz Underztood:** Thanks a lot! I was trying to aim for "cool". Lol. Review!

**Loki Blacktrick:** Heh. Well, then thanks for taking time to review mine! Here's the update!

**A/N (continued…again):** :looks up: DANG! This whole thing spanned TEN pages! O.o

Review! Be gentle, onegai!


	4. Pervert!

**Learning to Love  
By: yume-chan29**

**Standard Disclaimers Apply.**

**Author's notes-** Entry Four:

Holy Cheese Ding Dang Schnickerdoodle.

…I UPDATED. (Queue Dramatic Music) After a year. Of Hiatus. Which I didn't even clarify. Ohmigawd, SQUEE. I seriously thought about discontinuing this fic because of several reasons: 1) It was totally and utterly out of the Naruto timeline. You see, I started this fic before I even heard about the timeskip. So naturally, I had NO IDEA that Hawt!Gaara becomes Hawt-Gaara-Kazekage-Sama! Among other things. 2) Major Writer's Block. Had it for the longest time because I wanted so much for the story to flow evenly. I overthought (yes, I'm positive that it is not a word) and my brain imploded. 3) Laziness. When I finally came up with the idea for this chapter, I thought no one would be interested anymore seeing as I hadn't updated in such a long, long time. 4) Preoccupied. Enough Said.

Apparently though, some of you _really_ wanted this fic to be continued. And since I liked the plot in itself (and I _love_ the fans of this story) I decided to give this old thing another go. So yeah. Forgive me for deliberately ignoring this fanfiction for months on end. Your perseverance, my dear, dear reviewers, has made me update! Finally.

**Dedicated to my AWESOME! Reviewers.**

Don't like, don't read! Love, secrets, fluff, angst, jealousy, and tragedy ahoy!

**Chapter 4: **Pervert!

_She was running. _

_But from what? She didn't know. Given the obvious circumstances, all she did know was that she wanted to get the hell away from it. _

_It was dark._

_Quite dark, in fact, that even as she was a ninja, she managed to stumble upon a tree root. _

_Oomph. Idiot! _

_How the hell was her follower seeing through the inky blackness?_

_She got up in rush, the presence behind her emanating daunting waves of charka, superiority, and…was that…amusement? The guy was smirking at her, she knew it. And if not for the fact that she was in a predator-chasing-prey sort of situation, where she was in the less favorable of the positions, she would've turned right around to give the jerk a piece of her mind and—! _

_Wait…why was she running on the ground of all places?_

_She cursed under her breath, berating her own stupidity. Quickly, she jumped into a tree branch, and continued her way from there._

_The looming stalker followed suit. _

_Oh crap. The guy was obviously a shinobi. _

_Why was said shinobi tracking her? Again, she didn't know. What she did know, however, was that allowing herself to be captured would mean trouble._

"_Can't run forever, Haruno."_

_Oooohhhh, hell. The very capable shinobi behind her, hunting her, with intent for sure-fire evil, knew her name. _

_Not to mention he was gaining insurmountable speed._

_She panicked, putting whatever energy she had left into her legs and started into a sprint._

_But the ninja was too fast for her._

_Before she knew it, the being tackled her from behind, grabbing at her waist. She tried to struggle out of the man's grip but to no avail. Her attempts turned to catching on a tree knob to halt their fall, but her efforts only proved fruitless._

_She clutched her eyes closed in frustration._

_The male landed on the ground first. His feet gracefully floating back to Earth in the practiced Shinobi way. Somehow, through the flailing, she felt he had shifted her position so she now lay in his arms, bridal style. _

_It would've been almost romantic by how closely and gently he held her…if not for the fact the guy had malicious purposes and was currently holding a kunai to her pulsing jugular._

_When she opened her eyes, in a last ditch effort to see her killer, she managed to catch a vague glimpse of…white?_

_Just as the guy was tearing open her throat with his weapon…_

Sakura woke up in a cold sweat.

She brought a hand to her face, rubbing her temples and taking deep breaths in an effort to calm herself. It was her second getting-viciously-murdered-by-shinobi-in-dark-forest dream in a row!

The pink-haired kunoichi sighed shakily. It must be nerves, she told herself.

She was tense about her training with Neji today and that anxiousness had caused bouts of irregular frightening nightmares. Nothing out of the ordinary. Really.

Sakura crushed a face to her pillow, breathing a quiet 'Who am I kidding?', before grabbing her alarm clock.

Only, 4:35. She still had time. Her session with the Hyuuga wouldn't be for another 1 hour and 25 minutes.

Making a quick decision of what to do now that she was wide awake, she got up, put on what she'd officially dubbed her training suit (after all, none of them had commented yesterday), brushed down her bed head, and walked out the door.

**XXX**

"You realize its…4:50 in the morning, don't you?"

She grinned sheepishly. "…It had entered my mind once or twice, yeah."

He rubbed his eyes once. Twice. Blinked once. Twice. Three times. Crap. Still there.

She clutched her hands together, all the while smiling, "You know as well as I do that Naruto wouldn't have woken up at this hour. Ino needs all the beauty sleep she can get. (Inner Sakura guffawed hysterically at the comment) And Tsunade-sama would be suffering from her usual Tuesday morning hangover. You're the only one I could turn to!"

He sighed tiredly. "And to what exactly, do I owe the…_pleasure_ of your appearance?"

Sakura giggled lightly, pushing past him and into his apartment. "A talk." She answered simply. "A nice long talk."

He huffed exasperatedly again and looked to the pink-haired chuunin who'd already made herself comfortable on his couch. The man walked over to his kitchenette calling a quick, deadpanned, "I'll make coffee." Over his shoulder.

The 16-year-old grinned. "I knew you'd see it my way, Kakashi-sensei!"

**XXX **

His visible eye blinked with Sakura's tale.

He'd known for quite some time now (on account of his own personal…resources) that the Leaf and the Sound had never been on _good_ terms. He'd also heard the rumors of an upcoming war. And had investigated the sources. Thoroughly.

But this…_this_ he hadn't been informed of. Naturally, it'd come as a surprise. That Haruno Sakura, his little Sakura-chan of Team Seven, who he'd always unconsciously doted on, could very well bridge the difference between Konoha's victory and defeat.

She had a bloodline limit too. A super healing one. Being Hatake Kakashi, of course, he'd heard the reports of aforementioned Super!Healing powers. But he'd never took it upon himself to look into said reports. And never would he have thought _Haruno Sakura_ would be harboring such a jutsu within her.

"So you need to obtain a certain level before activating your Bloodline Limit?" Kakashi questioned, sincerely interested.

"Yeah." She said glumly, "Jounin."

"Oh, well." The gray-haired man's mask creased, a sign he was smiling, "That shouldn't be too hard for Tsunade's apprentice." His pink-haired student had really _grown_.

"That would've been true, if Tsunade-sama hadn't decided to take desperate measures! She hired me some trainers because she's kind of busy with other more…important matters."

"Trainers? Like who?" The Jounin took a careful sip of coffee.

At the question, Sakura fidgeted a little, turning a shade to match her hair, till she answered in a soft mumble, "Neji-san, Gaara-san, and Sasuke-kun."

If Kakashi hadn't been so reserved, he just might've choked on his drink. "Those three?" His eyes crinkled with amusement at her nod and the way she dug her back more snugly into the cushions of his sofa. "How…interesting."

"Yeah. You could say that," Sakura muttered, sarcasm dripping off her words. She took a sip at her steaming cup. "If by interesting you mean _horrifying_." Inner Sakura hollered a rambunctious, "SCARY BASTARDS!"

He raised a brow. And she continued, "I mean, I had to meet up with all three of them yesterday, _Hokage-sama's orders_. They acted like children (obviously, because they're superiority-complexes don't allow them to listen to reason!) but _still_. Those guys are so _strong_. _Way_ stronger than me."

In a blunt tone he replied, "Well, I think that's why Tsunade hired _them_ to train _you_."

"That's not what I mean, Kakashi-sensei!" She voiced, exasperated, "I can't shake the feeling that being in their presences is…I don't know…life-threatening."

Kakashi looked unusually affected by her words, though his eyes returned to normal with the blink of an eye. He patted her shoulder cheerily, "Ah. Don't worry about that Sakura. You're just nervous."

She blinked at him, skepticism in her emerald eyes.

"Really." He reassured her, "The feeling will wear with time." With that Sakura visibly relaxed, drinking her coffee to the last drop. She casually glanced at her watch and she jumped up.

"Oh crap! If I don't leave soon, I'm going to be late!" She put her cup down, rushing over to the door. "And if I'm late Neji will _kill_ me for sure!"

Inner Sakura was giving her a migraine with her screams of, 'RUN, SHANNARO!'

The man smiled as Sakura put on her shoes hurriedly, getting up and waving her goodbye. When she was set to sprint, she quickly turned around to face her former teacher, "Thanks so much Kakashi-sensei! We should have nicer, longer talks more often!"

She was out the door in a flash.

The jounin slowly walked back to his place on the couch, settling down on the black cushions.

From beneath his mask, a frown engraved his features, hoping against all hope that his former student's usually accurate first instincts were wrong this time around.

**XXX **

"Ah! N-Neji-san!" She panted softly, as she scanned the premises, "I'm here!"

She glanced down at her watch. 6:00 on the dot. Sakura smiled at her good timing, before getting into a fighting stance. She wouldn't be caught off guard as she had been yesterday.

Her boots crunched on the grass beneath her and birds hooted in the distance. Aside from that however and the occasional, whooshing of air through the trees, it was…quiet.

Really, really quiet.

Damn it! Where the hell was he?

In an instant and a flash of chocolate brown locks, he was suddenly in front of her, attacking her full-force, using his well-practiced taijutsu and moving to close her charka holes. Sakura gasped as she felt him hit a spot on her arm but quickly reverted back to defense mode, thinking up ways to put some distance between them.

He was closing in on her. Fast.

_Shoot_.

She needed _space_. His close-range attacks barely gave her enough time to dodge and block much less counter.

Thinking quick, she stabbed a kunai harshly into the tree behind her causing birds to flutter and fly about. As his Byakugan had been activated, the sudden shift in movement caused a millisecond distraction. Just enough for her to flip back and jump into a branch.

Instinct told her to run. And run she did.

Sakura bit her lip, pondering over her next move. What was she going to do next? It wasn't as if she could hide, what with his Blood Line Limit activated. Could she maybe, jump backwards and go for a direct attack? The element of surprise could work in her favor…

…or otherwise, get her slaughtered.

Why the hell was he attacking her all out like this anyway? He was supposed to be training her! Not attempting _murder_!

And that's when the sense of déjà vu got to her. She now knew why the area was so _eerily_ familiar.

Her dream. It was as if it was being enacted, right here, right now. The only thing missing was—

"Can't run forever, Haruno."

_Gulp_.

Sweat beaded down her forehead with her exertions and an onslaught of nervous breakdown.

Killing. Is. Against. The. Law. (And is only permitted under dire circumstances). Her mind uttered repeatedly. Hyuuga Neji would _never_ risk his reputation, his _freedom_ to kill little old me.

…Right?

'You blackmailed him!'

'Shut up, Inner. He knows he'd go to jail, life time sentence, at the very _least_, if he ever made an attempt on my life.'

'…The guy's rich. He has…sources. One which may include burying a dead body and keeping details fully under wraps.'

'Shut UP, Inner. Neji-san's a good shinobi. Only evil shinobi kill for petty reasons!"

'…LOOK BEHIND YOU.'

Carefully, Sakura turned her head to gaze back at her follower. And the ninja behind her, easily obtaining more speed, did not look like a nice ninja.

Before she knew it, he caught up. And everything happened as it had in her vision. The grasping. The falling. The struggling. The landing.

Even the part where he quickly held up a kunai above her head…

A loud scream tore through her throat, echoing through the trees around them as Neji brought the weapon down.

…to tear through her shirt and her skirt in one quick swipe.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, YA PERVERT!"

She put an arm up to slap him, which he caught with a smirk.

_SLAP! _

So she slapped him with her other hand.

Getting up, she made a quick attempt to cover herself up, glaring daggers at the guy she thought was going to kill her just seconds ago. He too stood, returning the glower and putting a gentle hand to his reddened cheek.

"That's the second time you've injured me, Haruno."

She seethed, "I am NOT taking this from the guy who first attacked me upon my arrival, chased me down, then proceeded to rip my clothes off!"

He glared, "You make it sound as if I wanted to _rape_ you or something. …You're still decent."

And she unconsciously blushed a bright crimson, looking down upon her current wardrobe. The fishnet shirt barely exposed her skin as it was tight knit, but it wouldn't have mattered much anyway seeing as how she was wearing a modest sports bra underneath. Her shorts were skintight…but then again, Lee wore that unyielding, green jump suit all the time and it wasn't as if people were complaining (…anymore.)

He was right.

And it made her frustrated. "Then what _were_ your motives anyway?"

He sighed exasperatedly, making his way for her. He fingered her armband with disapproval. "Simplicity is key to training to become shinobi. It's only natural for it to apply to your clothes as well."

He continued, "Without needless complications," This time he eyed the choker around her neck, "goals are better seen, and thus easier acquired."

Her emerald orbs never ceased narrowing at him, "I understand that now, thankyouverymuch, _Neji-san_. But that still didn't give you the right to massacre my clothes like _this_." She held up her hopelessly shredded tank top and skirt, "Why couldn't you just _ask_ me to take it off?"

A corner of his lips lifted into a smirk, "Asking you to take off your clothes would have been…suggestive."

And Sakura's flush managed to darken. 'Yeah, because _ripping them off _was SO _less_ suggestive!' Inner Sakura hollered sarcastically, steaming.

"Besides," He murmured, his face once again fitted into its usual stoic composure, his blank eyes holding that maturity beyond his years, "We've saved time for more training."

He took out a kunai from his holster, "Come at me, Haruno."

She lowered her eyes to her outfit (or lack thereof) for the final time, before pulling out her own weapon and charging at him.

**XXX**

She was laughing.

Hysterically.

And after training for seven hours straight with one ice cold, callous Hyuuga Neji, that was not the kind of response she really would've appreciated.

"Some friend _you_ are, Ino." Sakura murmured, twirling her chopsticks in her untouched ramen. "Taking such amusement out of my pain."

The blonde girl let out another bout of giggles, before breathing in and finally responding, "He _tore_ your clothes off?"

Sakura blushed, pounding a fist onto the counter in complete embarrassment, "Ino! Not so loud!" She hissed, sheepishly waving to the other customers at Ichiraku and the befuddled passersby, mouthing 'She's crazy' and hooking her thumb in her friend's direction. She then put a hand on her forehead in exasperation, "…That sounded so…X-rated."

Again, Ino let out another fit of guffaws. "But he did, didn't he?"

"Er…more or less."

Ino raised an eyebrow, "You think…" Then suddenly she put a hand over her mouth to stifle a gasp, "Maybe he's a…closet pervert?"

"Ino!" Sakura screeched, sounding appalled. Ino gave her a glazed look, an expression the pink haired girl was reading as, 'Drop the innocent act. I know you were thinking about it.'

The kunoichi sighed, finally taking a bite out of her food, "Yeah. Thought about it."

Ino squealed, her cerulean eyes sparkling in excitement and a tinge of amusement, "Seriously? The prestigious Hyuuga prodigy…_Ecchi_?" The girl laughed in mock distress, "Oh, the _scandal_!"

Sakura smiled despite herself. The thought in itself was preposterous. Nonetheless, a sudden barrage of images flooded her mind of Neji, a ridiculous bandana wrapped around his head and under his nose, sneaking into girls' rooms to steal their panties.

She laughed while Ino bubbled out, "That's why he specializes in _taijutsu_!" The blonde made a comical hand gesture, shaping out an imaginary woman's hourglass figure, "It's a more of a _hands-on_ kind of practice."

They shared another moment of hysterics and Sakura added, now on a roll, "And he probably uses _Byakugan_ (-snort-) to peek into the girl's baths!"

The girls laughed till they found it hard to breathe properly, exchanging more silly ideas of how Neji the Closet Perv! spent his time.

As they were so caught up in their fits of hilarity, they didn't notice the presence of two other individuals until they had already successfully eavesdropped.

"Who's _hentai, _Sakura-chan?" One familiar, boisterous voice questioned, taking the vacant seat next to Sakura, gleefully ordering some ramen.

Quickly, the carnation haired kunoichi looked back at her blonde friend, blushing and managing to sputter, "N-Naruto!" Her heart almost dropped into her stomach when she spotted the raven-haired Uchiha on his other side, "Sasuke…-kun!"

Before she could come up with a plausible explanation, Ino began, "Oh no one. Just the nephew of the great Hy—" Sakura had successfully muffled her mouth before too much information got out. She looked apologetically back at the two males before turning to her best friend and giving her the trademark Inner Sakura Look, 'Shut UP, Ino, you gossip _whoremonger_!'

"Eh?" The orange-clad ninja asked, already slurping at his soup.

"No one really, Naruto. Just some…uh…random guy on the street." Sakura explained, finally taking her hand off a frustrated Ino's mouth.

"Aw." The blonde spoke, sounding deflated. Sakura thanked the heavens that Naruto was easily swayed. But Sasuke…

Sakura raised hesitant green orbs upon the Uchiha's form. Thankfully, their eyes didn't meet, as he was busy quietly eating his own noodles. His indifference had yet to squander so she assumed he just hadn't heard anything.

A thought suddenly hit her.

Oh. Training tomorrow. With _Sasuke_. Alone.

…Right…

Before Sakura could feel awkward about being within 5 feet of his presence, salvation had come around in the form of one Nara Shikamaru.

"Oi, Naruto." Four heads looked to the suddenly arrived shinobi. They each greeted him and the boy muttered his usual 'Troublesome' under his breath. "…Tsunade-sama needs you."

The blonde's eyes widened a bit in excitement. Sakura watched amazed as he gobbled down a third bowl in a flash, paid for it, and hurried to the lazy ninja's side, "Ah! Is it another mission?"

He shrugged, but before he could open his mouth to reply, a cheery Ino had just finished her ramen and bounded up to him. Her features then transformed from utterly giddy to a 'I'm-about-to-reprimand-you' stare. "Shikamaru! Why the hell didn't you come to dinner last night? My mom was expecting you, y'know!"

"I was busy."

Sakura grinned. Ino had taken to mothering Shikamaru a whole lot lately. When she'd asked the Nara, he'd replied that he just happened to be the closest one to 'bitch at', but Sakura knew better. They…_especially_ cared for one another.

Hah.

She'd have to tease Ino about it later.

"Bye, Sakura(-chan), Sasuke(-bastard)!" yelled the two blondes simultaneously.

Shikamaru nodded his goodbyes and the trio walked out of the Ramen Shop.

"Oii!" Naruto called once more, annoyed with his being ignored. "My mission?"

They squabbled till they were but shadows in the distance. Sakura turned back to her soup, a bit of envy creeping its way into her system when she heard Chouji's name said in the distance.

Team Ten had _always_ been close. After all, they were continuing the Ino-Shika-Chou legacy. But more than that, they were like _family_.

Now, Sakura knew Naruto and Kakashi-sensei were among her special people. Heck, even _Sai_ had earned a somewhat special place in her heart. They had made a great Team Seven all right, but it had always been strangely…lacking.

…Sasuke. She sighed, taking another sip of her ramen broth. She'd let her relationship with him decay. And because of what? Fear?

…Sasuke…

"Sakura."

It'd been all her fault naturally. What the heck did she expect the Uchiha to do? Seek _her_ out?

…Sasuke…

"_Sakura_."

_Yeah, like that'll ever happen._

…Sasu—Oh _CRAP_. She turned her gaze to her side, suddenly remembering that _no_, the Uchiha had _not_ yet left. And he was looking at her strangely.

_Damn_ it.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun!" She said in realization, quickly slurping up her soup, and nervously hopping off her chair. "I kind of have to go—"

He grabbed onto her arm in a flash, his dark eyes narrowing at her. Her heart beat erratically against her chest and she quickly tore her limb out of his grasp.

Sasuke threw her his heaviest glance, quickly muttering an, "Annoying" in her direction.

Despite the unrelenting thrashes of her heart against her ribs, she managed a meager glower in return.

Finally, he got off his chair with a practiced grace, stalked towards her.

She fidgeted a bit under his glance but held her ground.

His gaze lowered over her attire and he raised a questioning brow, "What the _hell_ did the Hyuuga do to you?"

Sakura blushed of her own accord, clutching her arms and shouting back defensively, "How do _you_ know whether or not it was Neji…-san, who did this to me?"

He frowned at her in a way that made her feel somewhat inferior, "It's all over your face."

Inner Sakura rapidly punched fists in the air, hoping that maybe the rapid movement would cause her physical body to punch the arrogance off his expression.

"And it was the Hyuuga wasn't it?" He bit, smirking, "The one you were accusing of…'closet perversion.'"

Her eyes widened a fraction. Damn it, he _had_ heard. _That sneaky, remorseless bastard…_

The Uchiha rolled his eyes at her, "You were being _obvious_, Sakura."

'KNEE. HIM. IN. THE. GROIN. SHANNARO!'

While she seethed inwardly, he quickly muttered, "Tomorrow. Kohaku Field. 6 a.m. sharp. Don't Be Late." He put emphasis in his last words, the threat lingering in the air.

When she could no longer feel his shadow looming over her, she trudged back home, dreading her future encounter, tomorrow's training, with Sasuke…kun.

…And _damn it_. She held up her piteous looking shreds of cloth. She had to get a _new_ training outfit.

**XxEnd chapter 4xX**

**A/N (continued): **Whee! I have a lot of comments on this chapter.

1) I think Sakura's character is somewhat different from the first three chapters. In the beginning, she'd been more…I think girly and sweet. This Sakura has shaped out better (stronger, wiser, but still hella charming) because she's formed to…er…my maturity? XD.

2) I've wanted to do the Neji-Is-A-Closet-Pervert one for years. Hopefully you see in the logic? XD (And thought it humorous?)

3) Sorry the Action Scene (If you could even call it that) was so short and blunt and…un-action-y. Not exactly my forte…or my interest. Oo

4) Someone requested for more characters and so TA-DAH. I've put in a lot of characters! Kakashi-sensei, Ino, Naruto, and Shikamaru! Huzzah! Yes, Be proud of me. (grin)

5) Sakura's talk with Kakashi-sensei was not meaningless! I put it in to help with the element of foreshadowing…Bwahahaha.

6) I hope my writing has improved from last time. I mean, I am a year older. (sweatdrop)

7) ShikaIno is my favorite non-Sakura pairing. That's why I had to add just the tiniest of hints in there. XD So sue me.

8) This fic is officially AU and rated 'T' for language.

9) Sai is mentioned! SQUEE.

10) Get ready, Sasu/Saku lovers for the next installment of Learning To Love, cause it's Sasuke's training day. And Sakura's in for it. (Hopefully, it doesn't take me another year to get it out) (sweatdrop)

**Review Responses: **(here's hoping that ya'll are still alive and kicking) XD

**Lady Light**: Hahaha. Thanks for the review. And don't worry. I don't mind 'em short and sweet. XD

**Crazy-antman**: XD Here's the update! Which…uh…wasn't exactly soon, but…er…better late than never, right?

**Apple-Mei-Mei**: You can't take Mr. Fluffy-Snuggle! XP. Lol. Sasuke showed up in this chappie! Yay. Thanks for reviewing.

**Kawaii Koneko92**: XD Thanks. That was my fav part too. Here's the update!

**Zakurrah-chan**: HUZZAH for Sakura-centric ficcage! XD

**Lady Nagome of The West**: Argh! Me TOO! I hate it when they make her start bawling. In the beginning of my story, Sakura'll seem a little nervous around the boys (They ARE big and strong after all)…but soon enough she'll be whooping 'em, if you know what I mean. XD

**Kurenai Chinoumi**: Hehe. Thanks! Here's the update.

**Hikari**: An update for yoooouuuuuu. XD.

**Slytherin Prince**: XD And here it is! After…a year. TT …Don't hate me.

**Fujiwara Yuriko**: XD Thanks so much! Here's that update!

**Freakenout**: Hah. Training with the Hyuuga. What fun. Thanks for reviewing!

**Doctor Meowzie**: Hellz Yeah! SasuSakuNejiSakuGaa FOREVER.

**Yokaigurl**: XD Inner Sakura was probably thinking it. Thanks for reviewing.

**Aemkea**: And here's the Neji/Saku! Though…uh…not much…stuff happened. Oo It's a work in progress. XD

**FormerAurora**: SQUEE. How've ya been girl? XD. Oh! And thanks for the number thing. (searches fic for numeric error) Hope I didn't miss anything. (sweatdrop)

**So-kun**: Thanks for the review. I have no inclination towards any of the boys. …But don't worry! Gaara shall make an appearance in the next chapter! Whoo.

**PinayPal**: GAWD. Annoying. XP. Here's the update. Like I said. XD.

**Hao'sAnjul**: And I have written! XD. Enjoy.

**Iluvanime493**: Thanks for the review! And here is the eagerly awaited for Sakura/Neji training sequence. Hopefully, I didn't disappoint?

**Moonshine and mustard seed**: Here's the update! (Finally!) XD.

**LovelyCloud**: XD. Here's my UPDATE! Enjoy.

**Mimic12355**: Thanks so much! (blush)

**Baby-U-Amaze-Me**: XD. And I'm glad. Here's the long-awaited update!

**Babykakashi**: XDDDD. Hellz yeah. I pretty much despise Sasuke at this point. (Another reason why I took so long updating this fic). Gaara/Sakura training comes after the next chappie. Which I hopefully get to…soon.

**Sailor Leo**: SQUEE. I love Gaa/Saku too. Thanks for reviewing my humble fic. Gaara shows up next chapter so don't worry!

**XxaoshixX**- XDDDD. That's how I feel all the time! Except next to creepy I'd put HAWT. XDDDD

**DeliciousAmbiguity**: Yay for Neji/Saku! XD. Here's the update. Enjoy.

**QWERT**: Ah. The wise one who wanted Naruto to make an appearance! XD Well, TA-DAH! Here he is, among other characters too! XD

**Bittersweet Ambitions**: Here ya go! XD

**DreamCatcher16**: Hahaha. Things'll work out, don't you worry. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kaze Ni Tenshi**: Thanks! XD Here's the update!

**Kikyou-sama**: XD. Here's the update! Enjoy.

**Shiroi Ookami**: XD. Thanks so much. And here's the update!

**Animevivverz**: SQUEE. That means a lot coming from you. XD Thanks for reviewing! Here's the update!

**Zora Olsen**: Haha. …We'll see. And Sakura-chan shall forever be in control. Even if the boys are too stubborn to admit it.

**Serenity Komoshiro**: lol. Thanks! XD. You'll just have to wait (read, review) and see. XD

**Iccena**: XD. Whoo. For a minute there, I thought you WEREN'T going to laugh. XD

**Soelle**: Hopefully, you'll like how I portrayed Sakura here even more. Thanks for the review!

**Lady Abbess**: Thanks for the review. XD Here's the update!

**-purply star-** : XDDDD. Hellz yeah! You rock tooooooo! Thanks for the review!

**Blacksheep18**: XD. Here's the review! Hopefully, you're still interested. Oo

**Heartless Ghost**: So TA-DAH! Sasuke and Sakura and Neji show up! Huzzah! XD.

**Sweet Assassin**: Lol. Well. I finally got around to updating! XD. Thanks for the review (even after SO LONG).

**Suteki no Baka**: Seriously! Then Happy BELATED B-day! XD. Sorry it took so long! You must be a whole year older now, huh?

**StarlitBaby**: XD. Here's the update! Enjoy!

**AznwitBra1nz**: (blush) thanks! Here's the update!

**Selene Crescent**: XD. Thanks so much for your review!

**Sakura4eva**: Ehehehehe. (Whimpers) Here ya go! XD

**Hopeless Romantic**: lol. Thanks! Here's the update!

**Akki818**: Thanks for reviewing! (Even after a year) XD. Here's the update!

**Konoha's sexy flower**: O.o (whimpers) Uh…here? XD. Thanks for the review!

**XXFreak-headXx**: XDDDDDD. Me toooo! My fav male characters of Naruto are Neji, Gaara, (and Shikamaru!) XD. Don't exactly like Sasuke anymore. And I heart Sakura-chan. XD. That's why this it Sakura-centric! Anywho I'm uber-flattered to know you like my fic as much as bagels…which is a lot. XD Enjoy the update!

**Vines-throughXfate**: Hahaha. Dudette. XD. Thanks for reviewing (even after SO LONG). Here's that update!

**Icecream Skittles Addict**: Hahaha. Hope I succeeded in giving her a spine. XD. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kai'sgirl510**: Haha. So…this was as soon as I could. XD. Thanks for sticking with it. Enjoy!

**ShinjucAt**: Honestly? It was your review that made me start writing the forth chapter. It pushed me over that edge, in inspiration. XD. Thanks for updating after so long. Yours was seriously the review that made me update.

**Lemons**: And Ta-DAH! The next chapter! Like magic, no? XD.

**A/N (continued):** Holy Crapper Moly. The review responses themselves took 3 pgs. And I didn't even write that much! O.o GAH. Sorry if I made typos, reviewers! It's kind of 3 in the morning over here. XD. I should be asleep…But I'm not.

Anyway, It thoroughly pleased me to find that many people liked Sakura hitting Neji with the rock. XD.

Please don't give up on me yet, reviewers!

**Review Please!**


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